EVENT REVIEW: EDC Orlando 2018

Nov 15, 2018

This past weekend, Insomniac Events put on their 7th EDC Orlando with the biggest turn out yet with 110,000 people in attendance over two days. Acts included Kaskade, Illenium, Martin Garrix, Alison Wonderland, Bassnectar, Midnight Tyrannosaurus and more. There was a great mix of house and bass music, making it an event with something for everyone.

A lot went down over the weekend – Alison Wonderland remixed God is a Woman right after the main stage caught on fire. Dillon Francis teased a collab with AW and Illenium debuted a new Halsey remix. If you were there, it was a whirlwind of activity and new music.

EDC Orlando is special because it is a smaller version of the epic event that goes down in Las Vegas every year. It has carnival rides, plenty of vendors, food and of course a variety of music to choose from. The atmosphere is something absolutely magical under all of the lights and decorations around Tinker Field. Insomniac really doesn't hold back when it comes to stages and creating an ambiance.

Day 1

Day one was full of bouncing around from Kinetic Field to Circuit Grounds. I always like to find new artist from listening to their live sets, so I found myself at Circuit Grounds for a very long time catching sets from Boogie T b2b Squnto, Midnight T, Moody Good and more. From there I went to Kinetic Field and was able to experience Dillion Francis for the first time and witness the epic collab reveal with Alison Wonderland.

I had the opportunity to experience the EDC VIP experience as well. At Kinetic Field and Circuit Grounds, they have their own standing area right next to the stage as well as viewing decks which allows you to look over the whole crowd. The VIP grounds were full of kandi making stations, air-conditioned bathrooms and more.

Of course, there was no better way to end out day 1 than catching Bassnectar at Circuit Grounds. There has been a lot of debate about this set, but it rocked my world just like always.

Day 2

Sadly, EDC Orlando is only two days long, so you really have to make the most of it. Day 2 consisted of me really bouncing around stages to catch everyone I could. Nervo b2b Alok really pulled through and showed us what they're made of while Tiesto helped us ring in the night with his sunset slot.

Let's not forget the infamous fire that started during Kayzo's set. Luckily, everyone and everything was okay and the next set was able to start right on time. Alison Wonderland rocked us all by opening her set playing her cello – showing just how diverse of an artist she really is.

Thankfully, Alison Wonderland and Vini Vici switched set times, so I was able to catch all of Illenium's set. He kept his usual calm-but-going-hard vibe throughout his set which brought down the house.

One of my favorite parts over the weekend was walking through the Neon Garden and being able to really see all of the lights and displays around the festival. Neon Garden has a more relaxed, chill vibe compared to rest of the festival and makes a good escape from all the craziness. It allows for a good spot to take a break and eat and hydrate – something that is always encouraged at every festival.

All in all, my first EDC was magical and amazing. I think I will always be surprised by how nice and giving everyone is at festivals. There truly isn't anything else like it. I can't wait to return to the Electric Sky next year.